


A Good Friend (You Are Too Good For Me)

by alltheglowingeyes



Series: PJO/HoO/ToA One Shots [45]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Internalized Homophobia, but this is annabeth will friendship yeehaw, just more will solace backstory ish, uhhhhhh idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltheglowingeyes/pseuds/alltheglowingeyes
Summary: Will and Annabeth are hanging out in the infirmary. They have a conversation, and Annabeth is a good friend
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Will Solace
Series: PJO/HoO/ToA One Shots [45]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861492
Comments: 28
Kudos: 70





	A Good Friend (You Are Too Good For Me)

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from AHunterofArtemis_1519:  
> Pls pls pls do consider making a sequel!! When they r both older and Will still thinking of Annabeth as the 'older-teacher' figure stuff... 
> 
> Thanks for the prompt! Sorry this took so long to actually write up oops-
> 
> I’m finally ~maybe~ getting things done writing-wise lmao. Uhhh this takes place a little before the events of BotL. 
> 
> That’s all I have to say here.
> 
> Enjoy! :)
> 
> \- alltheglowingeyes

Will sat down on an empty cot, near the back of the infirmary. It was a lazy day, so Will was busying himself with menial tasks. 

He was working on cutting some bandages when a gentle voice called out, “Knock knock.”

Will looked up and smiled, placing his scissors on top of the cut bandages pile. “Annabeth Chase. What can I do for you?”

Annabeth smiled back, shrugging lightly. “Well, Lee told me you were hiding out here while the rest of your siblings were at archery, so I wanted to say hi. I also got you the book you were looking for.”

Will’s eyes lit up with glee as he took the book from the daughter of Athena’s outstretched hands, flipping through excitedly. “ _ Yes _ . Marry me.”

Annabeth snorted, poking Will’s cheek. “Can you not just say  _ thank you _ normally?”

“Nah. It’s more fun this way. Keeps you on your toes,” Will mumbled, already engrossed in flipping through the book.

Annabeth laughed at that before taking a seat on the ground near Will’s chair, sighing loudly. Will raised an eyebrow at her, closing the book and setting it to the side.

“You do know you could like, sit in a chair or something?”

Annabeth shook her head, tilting her gaze backwards so she could see Will properly, “Can you do the healing thing for my head?”

Will’s expression immediately grew concerned. “Do you have a migraine again?”

“It’s sort of dull right now, like an ear or jaw ache, but yeah; it’s probably going to spiral if I don’t do anything I guess,” Annabeth responded, already clenching and unclenching her jaw in an effort to ignore the pain. 

Will hummed in acknowledgment, placing two fingers on each of her temples and slowly massaging. “Let me know if you want me to move my hands, especially if the pain is in a different location,” he murmured gently. Annabeth just made a small sound of approval, melting into Will’s warm hands as they worked on applying slight pressure to her pounding head. Normally, that wouldn’t be enough to help relieve the pain, but Annabeth was fairly certain Will’s healer powers added something a little extra to help soothe the pain almost instantaneously as a calming warmth passed through her pounding head.

She laughed lightly, leaning back into Will’s hands even more, “Have I ever told you how much I  _ love _ your powers?”

Will snorted at that, and Annabeth could practically hear him rolling his eyes. “So many more practical uses for my powers and this is what impresses you?”

Annabeth just shrugged, smiling to herself as she closed her eyes for the next few minutes, allowing Will to work his magic. After a few minutes, as the impending pressure in her head began to subside, Will cleared his throat.

“I actually have a question, if you are feeling well enough to talk. Nothing too urgent, I think, but yeah,” he rambled, voice clearly conveying his anxiety. Annabeth tilted her head backwards once more to see his face, noting the small flicker of fear in his eyes as she frowned.

“Hey. Whatever’s going on, you can tell me,” she murmured softly, gently pushing herself away from Will’s hands as she turned around in her seat on the floor to look at him properly. 

Will swallowed visibly, gaze locked on the ground as he shifted on the bed. “Well… I know this isn’t really your, um,  _ thing _ . I just didn’t want to have to talk to Cabin 10 people. I mean, I would have talked with Silena, but she’s still visiting her dad until next week so…”

Annabeth reached up and took Will’s hands in her own, feeling them shaking slightly. She had a slight inkling of what the subject matter was, based on the campers he referenced, but it still confused her why he was so nervous.

“Talk to me, Solace. What’s up?”

Will cleared his throat again, looking unusually flustered. “Well… I might- I think I like someone. And I need to make it… not happen?”

Annabeth blinked, a little confused, “Will, it’s perfectly normal to start having some potential romantic feelings for people now. I mean… I guess my only question would be who’s the lucky lady?” she asked, grinning playfully at the younger teen. When Will didn’t reciprocate, however, she let her smile slide off her face once more.

Will looked like he was going to be sick, cracking his fingers absentmindedly as he mumbled something under his breath. Annabeth frowned, asking him to repeat what he said a little louder.

Will took a shaky breath, “I  _ said _ that it’s not a lady. Or a female, whatever.”

There was a pause of silence as Annabeth took in what he said, nodding carefully, “Ok, cool. Who’s the lucky guy, then?”

Will stared at Annabeth in confusion, and for a second the daughter of Athena questioned whether that wasn’t the appropriate reaction. Then, the son of Apollo spoke up, his voice low.

“That’s all you have to say?”

Annabeth frowned, “Well, no. I mean, I can say in full confidence that I support you and only want what’s best for you. I just want you to know that this doesn’t change anything about our friendship or how I look at you.”

Will looked increasingly  _ more _ frustrated at that, to Annabeth’s shock, running a hand through his hair and tugging loosely at his frizzy curls. “But it’s not-  _ ugh _ ,” he grumbled, muttering under his breath.

Annabeth stood up from her seat on the floor, sitting next to Will on the cot. She studied the frustrated expression on his face, trying to choose her next words carefully. “Are these feelings… not making you happy?”

Will sighed heavily, “I- no? I mean, I guess it’s nice to… to like someone? No, that’s not what I meant. Um… it’s just not how I should be, though,” he finished weakly.

Annabeth mulled over his words for a few seconds as the realization hit her. 

“Will,” she began, feeling way out of her depth as she tried to comfort him. “You’re allowed to like boys. Or girls. Anyone you want, really.”

Will turned up the palms of his hands, staring at them intently. He didn’t seem to process what she had said, “Look, I don’t have a problem with people  _ like that _ . Well-  _ fuck _ , that came out really bad. I just mean…” he let his hands drop in his lap. “I sound like a piece of shit. Sorry.”

Annabeth worried her bottom lip, thinking of what to say. She already had a vague idea about what might be going on. Will wasn’t a bad person, by any measures, but it definitely seemed like there was some misdirected learnings that he had no idea how to apply to his life, so he was turning it on himself. 

She decided to try and push him a little more, maybe to see if he could lay out his thoughts by thinking out loud in order to help him a little more. “Why do you think you aren’t allowed to like boys, Will?”

Will flinched at the blunt question, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “I don’t want to be like that,” he mumbled softly. “When I was living back at home, um… I mean, when I was really little, we lived in a less-progressive town, I guess. Kids already didn’t like me because of my mom already, kind of parroting whatever they heard their parents say about her, I guess. But they also used to… I just tried to be nice, and it always turned to name calling, especially… well, I guess you can infer. But I spent so long telling myself I wasn’t what they said I was… and now I am?”

Will glared at the ground, shaking his head softly. “I don’t think I explained that right. I’m just… I don’t like it. I don’t like  _ me _ .”

Annabeth was quiet for a moment before speaking up. “Will, you being a good and kind kid does not have to do with your sexuality. That’s just who you are. And I know that it might not help much, and you might not be able to believe me right now… but liking boys is ok. It doesn’t make you  _ weird _ and it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. You deserve to someday reach a place in your life where you can be confident about this. But for now, well, I would talk to some kids from Cabin 10. They would definitely be better at helping you sort out feelings - both for this other guy and about yourself - than I could. But I want you to know, Will, that you have my unconditional support and love, and I’ll be here to do my best to help you out once you decide to try and work through all of this.”

Will’s eyes brimmed with tears as he tilted his gaze to match Annabeth’s. He still looked a little frustrated and tired, but there was a glimmer of something in his eyes. “You’re… you’re too good for me. Thank you,” he mumbled hoarsely. 

Annabeth smiled gently, taking his shaking hands in her own. “All you, Will, but of course. Are you ok with me giving you a hug right now?”

Will nodded quickly, not even waiting for her to pull him close as he threw his arms around her tightly. She rubbed his back slowly as the son of Apollo buried his face into her shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Annabeth felt Will finally stop trembling, sniffling as she gently extracted herself from his grasp.

Will rubbed his eyes, glancing warily at Annabeth’s slightly wet shirt now. “Ugh, sorry. I’ll get you a new shirt or something.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes, gently flicking the side of his head. “You do realize we have a laundry system at this Camp, right?”

Will snorted, shooting her a half-hearted glare. “I’m emotionally high-strung right now. Don’t patronize me.”

Annabeth grinned before mimicking his pouty expression, mouthing  _ don’t patronize me _ dramatically as she blew some stray curls out of her face. Will laughed lightly at that, the small growing smile on his face raising Annabeth’s spirits by tenfold.

She stood up and stretched out a little. “Want to see how many strawberries we can steal before Pollux and Castor rip our heads off?”

Will arched an eyebrow, already standing up but looking apprehensive. “Don’t you have head counselor duties? And what about your headache? Also, do you  _ really _ want to test them like that?”

Annabeth shrugged, “I think both our cabins have music class. But Malcolm owes me a favor, so he’ll cover for me, and we both know that you haven’t attended even one of those classes since you came to Camp. Plus, you might have healed my headache pretty well, but the others don’t know that, so for all they know we’re still here. And for your information,  _ mom _ , I’m ready to risk being choked to death by vines if it means getting first pick of the strawberries for the month.”

Will let his jaw drop comically, clapping his hands on either side of his face, “You’re crazy. Breaking the rules so casually? Who are you and what have you done with Annabeth Chase?”

Annabeth nudged him with her elbow before linking arms with the son of Apollo, “Hey, I can be fun. Now stop being annoying and  _ come on _ .”

Will threw his head back in laughter as he allowed Annabeth to drag him along. They didn’t broach on their previous serious discussion, taking the afternoon to enjoy some sweet strawberries and, consequently, getting chased down a few Demeter kids and the Dionysus twins with murder on their minds, just enjoying a little semblance of peace for the rest of the day.

**Author's Note:**

> I had no idea how to end it, so I did my typical cheesy “and then they were happy” thing. I honestly have no idea if Annabeth was OOC lol; I don’t write her much.
> 
> I also have no idea if the more serious conversation part of this was any good oop. I hope it came across well, but constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> You can follow me on my tumblr @alltheglowingeyess for updates on multichapter fics/a compiled list of my one-shots/random Riordanverse shit, or to just say hi. :)


End file.
